Cost of being a Mexican immigrant and being a Mexican non-citizen in California and Texas

by 1976- Takei, Isao

Abstract (Summary)

Cost of Being a Mexican Immigrant and Being a Mexican Non-Citizen in California and
Texas. (August 2005)
Isao Takei, B.A., Nihon University;
M.A., Nihon University
Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Rogelio Saenz
The purpose of this thesis is to examine hourly wage differences across different
groups of Mexican-origin workers. First, I assess the cost of foreign-born status by
comparing the hourly wages of Mexican immigrant workers with those of native-born
Mexican American workers. Second, I assess the cost of non-citizenship status by comparing
the hourly wages of non-citizens with those of Mexican-born U.S. naturalized citizens. I also
seek to determine if these costs are greater in California than in Texas. The data are drawn
from the 2000 5% Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) U.S. Census. The results from
multiple linear regression analyses show that being an immigrant, particularly a non-citizen
immigrant, is associated with lower hourly wages, especially in California. Thus, Mexicanorigin
workers, especially those in California, bear dual costs for being foreign-born and not
being naturalized citizens. Furthermore, I focus on length of U.S. residence to assess the
social and economic impact of the different periods on the costs associated with foreign-born
status. First, those who came to the United States before the IRCA of 1986 and a series of
California propositions during the 1990s have higher hourly wages than those who arrived
later, because of more stable labor market conditions and the effect of the duration of stay in
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the United States. Second, those who arrived during the last decade have much lower hourly
wages because of their disadvantaged labor market contexts.
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